Summer! And ALL the Books

School is finally out, it's nice and hot and I'm ready to do little but read and ride my bike.

I thought I'd let you in on a few books I've already read and ALL the ones I've ambitiously purchased to read this summer.

Why I Hate Green Beans by Lincee Ray

One of my favorite authors, Melanie Shankle, plugged this book so I decided to give it a try.

Lincee is funny!

And also vulnerable and sweet.

It's written as a series of essays from different parts of her life.

Seriously, the whole why she hates green beans story is hysterical. 

This book was super easy to read and would be great to take on vacation.

Because of this, I follow Lincee's podcast 

which is also called Why I Hate Green Beans.

If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey

This is such a great book. It follows Jamie's Christian upbringing and how some bad choices made in her teens left her feeling unworthy in the church. How people in the church made her feel like she could never share that part of her life. She began believing that "if they only knew" all the parts of her past, people would ask her to leave the church or think very little of her. 

Very thought-provoking and revealing how the church AND us as believers 

may not always extend grace the way God does.

I read this over spring break. I was actually sitting out on the balcony of the bad hotel reading a chapter on sin shock when the drunk college kids started whooping and hollering and announcing they were in Miami when they indeed were not.

It was convicting.

I highly recommend this. It would be a good gift for the college girls in your life too.

Jamie has an awesome podcast called The Happy Hour.

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

This is more of an inspiring motivational book than a Christian living book. Rachel breaks down typical lies that we believe that get in our way of fulfilling our purpose. She shares her own story of working for a Hollywood studio, becoming a wedding planner to the stars and then starting her own media company. It's hard not to feel ready to tackle the world after reading this.

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

I used to always say that I loved this book growing up. I still have the copy I read back in the 70s. Here's the thing I discovered when I reread it:  I DON'T REMEMBER IT AT ALL.

Not even a few things.

It was super hard for me to finish with all the sciencey fictionish stuff. 

And I have less than no desire to see the movie.

The End.

Everybody Always by Bob Goff

Bob Goff also wrote Love Does, which I adored. 

I just started this and already have it marked up. It's so good.

He's such a great storyteller.

Other books I have purchased for the summer but not read yet are:

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan

The Middle Place and Glitter and Glue were such great books so I have high hopes for this one.

The Rock, The Road, and The Rabbi by Kathie Lee Gifford

I did a quick 7-day devotional plan on the bible app on my phone based on this book and loved it, which led me to this purchase.

Just Open the Door by Jen Schmidt

I heard an interview with Jen and she talked about how we have become a generation of Pinterest perfect pretty table settings yet we don't actually host anyone for dinner anymore. She talked about how people feel that they deserve to just sit on the couch alone in their sweats rather than fellowshipping with friends and neighbors. This intrigued me.

Steal Away Home by Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey

I heard about this on the Happy Hour podcast since one of the authors is Jamie Ivey's husband. It's the story of the unlikely friendship between the English theologian Charles Spurgeon and a slave named Thomas Johnson. I can't wait to start this one. 

Laugh It Up! by Candace Payne

Candace is the Chewbacca mask wearing mom who laughed her way into viral video fame. I heard her in an interview and she is so well spoken, knows the scripture and flat out funny. She's a blast to follow on Instagram. Especially during her recent trip to Israel. 

One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler

I know nothing about this except that Melanie Shankle wrote the forward. 

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

I realized today that I have no novels in my summer reading pile so on the recommendation of a few people, I ordered this. 

In stark contrast, all of Ellie's school recommended summer reading books are about war, racism or sexual assault. 

Oh, to be in high school again.

Happy summer reading!

Toddler Tired

In the midst of hosting family from out of town,

we decided to host whoever wanted to come over at 5:00 am 

to watch the Royal Wedding Saturday morning.

Ellie's sweet Young Life leader showed up.

I woke up at 4:45 to make tea and set out muffins, mini cinnamon rolls and fruit tarts.

There was NARY A SCONE to be had in this town.

I didn't realize that at 5:00 am it was mainly just watching the guests arrive and that it would be SOME TIME before we actually saw Meghan in her wedding dress.

The girls dozed at various points in the service and I was super glad my cousin was up early for a run to watch the fantastic Bishop Michael Curry's spirited message with me.

The wedding was beautiful, Meghan was stunning and I'm glad we got up to watch it.

After everyone left, we made breakfast for our company and then Monte and I decided to go for a long walk, 

which turned into running stadium stairs,

which turned into push-ups and sit-ups,

which turned into us running home in a DOWN POUR,

which turned into us just walking and laughing because running didn't keep us dry at all.

We were SOAKED.

After showering, I was pretty jazzed and decided to run a quick errand to look for new athletic shoes.

Not just because mine were soaking wet at home.

Somewhere during walking around the shoe store and trying a few pairs on, I hit a wall of tired.

Hard.

Monte had brought me a pair of shoes that he thought would be fantastic for me (i.e. cheap) and they felt like cement blocks on my feet.

I bent down to untie them and I just. couldn't.

I laid on the floor of the shoe store with my feet in the air SAYING NO WORDS.

Monte took my shoes off and we left.

On the way to the car I told him how I had a new understanding of why toddlers throw themselves on the floor when they get tired.

IT FELT PRETTY FANTASTIC!

Monte and I both agreed I needed a nap PRONTO.

It was around that time that I realized I had missed a call.

The name of the caller reminded me that I had committed to making several dozen cookies that day.

I almost cried.

Somehow, by the grace of God, I made close to 72 million cookies without crying.

Or throwing myself on the floor.

Then I made dinner.

All without a nap.

It's amazing what a lack of sleep does.

I felt cross-eyed.

I have a new appreciation for parents of newborns.

And for older parents of newborns.

But mostly for the people that live like this 

ALL. THE. TIME.

People that cram so much into each day that there is no time to sit and enjoy it.

There's always something else to go to, 

to say yes to,

to do, do, do.

My small group just discussed this idea of recharging.

Figuring out where all the pressures we are under are coming from.

Which ones we can get out from under 

so we can be more fully charged 

for what is the most important.

We are reading Priscilla Shirer's Fervent and she suggested that the many pressures in our our lives can resemble slavery.

"Slaves don't rest.
Slaves just work.
They don't control their agenda for the day;
the day's agenda controls them."

When we start thinking we CAN'T say no, 

then well, we are talking like a slave.

We are free.

We DO have the freedom to say no.

To allow ourselves space in our day to be still, 

to go to bed at a reasonable time, 

to be sensitive to what our body and mind are saying 

when it's cross-eyed tired.

I still don't think I have fully recovered because it's May and May is its own form of toddler tired without the royal wedding.

But I've planned some margin in my week to allow me some downtime to recharge for what I know will be a busy weekend.

Because of just a few no's,  I saw a frog outside my window this morning while I was watering my flowers.

I noticed the first peony of the season.

 I watched flags being installed along the sidewalks by a school for Memorial Day on my walk.

And I listened to an awesome sermon about Jesus coming to us 

in the midst of the storm.

I think my head planter I got for Mother's Day perfectly sums up my current mood.

The Things I See at School Pick Up

The other day I was waiting in my car for Ellie to get out of school.

I park on a residential street close to the school.

In the yard right by my car were two robins. One was busy with a worm and the other looked like he was bat crazy.

Like maybe he had sniffed some glue or had rabies if that's a thing birds can get.

The feathers on his head were standing up in all directions,  his body was all puffed up and both wings were spread out.

There was a crazy look in this bird's eye.

I swear, one eye was bigger than the other.

With much flapping around, I detected that he wasn't happy that the other bird was eating a worm right there.

I was worried for the worm eater.

He seemed undeterred in his eating.

He never even glanced at the crazy bird.

I have to admit, I may have yelled out advice for the little guy to leave before Crazy Bird flapped him upside the head or pecked his eyes out.

"Fly away!"

"Go!"

"Save yourself!"

"He's going to eat you!"

But he stayed.

Nibbling on his worm snack

 like there WASN'T a crazy puffed up bird 

making a big scene right by him.

I was riveted to the whole thing.

In one amazing second, Crazy Bird became completely normal.

No more wild feathered head.

No more puffed up body.

No more wide outstretched wings.

He may or may not have sighed 

before he flew away.

The other bird remained only concerned with his worm.

WHAT?!

As I tried to process the whole thing, it struck me.

That's what the enemy tries to do to us all the time.

All crazy and puffed up, he tries to intimidate us to retreat.

Retreat from the good work God has laid out for us.

Retreat from the blessings.

Retreat from the world in fear.

But we are told in Ephesians 6:11

"To put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand 

against the devil's schemes."

We don't have to fight him, 

God will do that, 

but we have to stand our ground. 

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

James 4:7

In Luke, Jesus tell us who to fear.

"But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who after the killing of the body, 

has power to throw you into hell."

Luke 12:5

You know who that is?

God.

Only God determines our eternity.

So that worm eating bird had it right.

He stood his ground, resisted the intimidation and Crazy Bird did in fact flee from him.

Right to the closest tree.

I'm so glad he didn't listen to me.

The things I see at school pick up.

"Eye Not Found"

I saw a blue jay yesterday morning. It was so vibrantly blue in the morning sun and HUGE. He flew close enough to the window that I could see the crest on his head and where the white feathers on his body met the blue.

It was beautiful.

I don't see blue jays often and consider it a real treat that I caught a glimpse.

It reminded me of a sermon I heard earlier this week.

It was about when something becomes so familiar to us that we cease seeing the amazement of it.

My husband grew up in Ft. Lauderdale and wearing shorts and flip flops all year 

and seeing pretty flowers and THE OCEAN every day was no big deal.

It certainly has become a VERY BIG DEAL

now that he has been living in the Midwest for the past 19 years.

The sermon pointed out how we can do that to God.

We can become so comfortable with life and the things in it coming through for us that we don't stop, acknowledge where it all comes from and let the amazingness of it to sink in.


I used my study bible to look up all the verses that use the word amazing.

There aren't that many and they are all in the New Testament.

When I used my Greek dictionary I found that all of the translations are from different forms of the word, like astounding.

Only one verse, Acts. 2:7, used the word amazing. It comes from the Greek word existemi which, broken down, comes from ex meaning out and hitemi, meaning to stand.

Put together it means to stand out.  "To be removed out of its place or state." In the New Testament it refers to the mind so it means to be out of one's mind, to be beside oneself with astonishment.

Somewhere between the New Testament and now, we've lost our ability to "lose our minds" over all God is doing or has done for us.

He made the blue jay, for crying out loud.

He's bright blue in a green and brown habitat.

Talk about being a stand out.

I went to the eye doctor this week and as I was looking through a machine that could photograph behind my eyeball, the machine spoke in a loud robotic voice,

"Eye not found."

I don't care who you are, 

you check to see if you can find your eye

after hearing such a statement.

The cute assistant said in a frustrated voice, to the machine, not me,

"Hey! I turned you on this morning, I can turn you off!"

Clearly, this wasn't her first 

"Eye not found" of the day.

And she was having none of it.

This machine was created to do ONE THING.

Photograph behind my eye.

My eye was UP CLOSE and looking RIGHT INTO IT.

But it couldn't find my eye.

In Mark 6 we are told the story of Jesus taking his disciples back to his hometown to teach and perform miracles.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, 

and many who heard him were amazed.

Mark 6:2a

They were amazed until they started asking who Jesus was. 

When they realized this was the dude they had grown up with they questioned,

"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us? 

And they took offense at him.

Mark 6:2b-3

This was no American Idol homecoming week with the parade, visit back to the old school and free concert at the end with everyone cheering and offering support.

No. They couldn't believe that one of their own, from rinky-dink small town Nazareth, could be anything more than a carpenter. 

In this context, carpenter was meant to be a slam such as, 

"Isn't he just as common as us?"

Read the verse above again. 

They didn't even say his name.

They mentioned his mother, Mary, 

and all his brothers 

and referenced his sisters

 but DID. NOT. SAY. JESUS.

They were right there with an up-close view.

"EYE NOT FOUND."

I'm not sure why, but they could not see or believe that Jesus was any different from them

 so how could he be something special, a stand-out anointed by God?

Maybe they were just too familiar with him as a carpenter

to ever see the amazingness that was him as our Messiah.

Jesus said to them,

"Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house 

is a prophet without honor."

Mark 6:4

The sermon I listened to pointed out that Jesus used this rejection from his own family and hometown friends as a lesson for the disciples.

They couldn't stop their ministry and performing miracles because some people early on failed to see it.

They became stronger and more humble because of it.

I did a little research on the blue jay.

Because of their vibrant color, they are easy prey.

Maybe that's why I don't see them often.

Or maybe I haven't been looking.

Women's Luncheon Table Decorating 2018

I've taken a few years off from going to my church's women's luncheon due to conflicts.

Mainly:  prom.

I was excited to get back to it.

This year Ellie's Young Life leader's grandmother was the speaker so she decided to host a table too.

I knew it was going to be a busy weekend because McDaniel was bringing A BUNCH of kids home with her from college.

And they were all staying at our house. 

More on that later.

So I wanted to keep my table decorations simple and/or that didn't require much shopping.

I decided on a dinosaur theme.

Why?

1) I love dinosaurs.

2) I have a lot of dinosaur home decor.

3) Dinosaurs seem to be popular right now.

When I told Ellie my theme she told me to not go crazy and keep in "Dino Chic."

But of course.

In the center is my Tyrannosaurus Rex cookie jar from Target the girls got me a few birthdays ago.

I ordered the big leaves from Amazon to use as chargers and a centerpiece.

I brought the other dinosaurs I had from home and put fake succulents in them to "Dino Chic" them up.

I alternated between driftwood napkins holders and gray napkins and galvanized metal and gold napkin holders and light beige napkins.

Those white plates came from a thrift store.

You might recognize my chia pet dinosaur I painted silver after I couldn't get a single chia seed to sprout.

I bought a bag of plastic dinosaurs on Amazon and spray painted a handful of them white for each place setting.

McDaniel got me this salt and pepper set from Target for Christmas.

Now on to Ellie's table.

She has a real eye for design and definitely knows what she likes. Most of this came from her room.

When I was 15, I had a poster of Prince on my wall. 

That's all I can remember about it's design theme.

One of the sweet college girls from my small group made Ellie a beautiful eucalyptus and white flower garland that she put around the center of her table. I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture of it!

I love that each place card said Woman of God.

I wish I'd taken more pictures the next day!

The themes stuck mainly around spring.

After this forever winter, 

I loved all the blooms and color.

There were so many women there--the biggest luncheon I've been to yet.

And the speaker was FANTASTIC!

A few Young Life leaders came and one of Ellie's friends.

Two of the leaders are in my small group so when we discovered that we all were wearing jumpsuits, I suggested the natural thing.

Take a picture doing the Charlie's Angels pose.

Except I couldn't remember exactly how the pose went.

There's a Karate chop in the pose?

I'd like to say we were praying here but we were probably comparing shoes or pedicures.

It was an awesome event.

The White Witch, My Moment with a Cow and Choosing Joy

Last Friday I walked with a girlfriend.

It was so beautiful and sunny and warm.

We wore shorts and popped into art shops and a bakery and picked up Nigel from the dog groomer.

We walked all over our town and it was wonderful.

That evening, Monte and I cleaned up the yard and I did my most favorite thing.

I burned sticks in the fire pit.

I don't know why, but I just love picking up all the sticks

 our beloved huge Sycamore tree has shed 

and burning them in the fire.

It's such a satisfying and quick way to clean up.

I purposely save some greenery from my flower boxes from Christmas time each year to help start the fire in the spring.

The height the fire gets in a hot WHOOSH when I throw in the dried up greenery should be such a warning to all those who keep their Christmas trees up too long.

Fire. 

Hazard.

It was such a nice day and evening.

A neighbor came over to talk to Monte on the patio as I stoked the fire.

We got excited about finally starting to see 

neighbors out and about again.

Then it snowed on Monday.

Tuesday we woke up to a fresh blanket of snow.

I asked Monte if we were in Narnia and the White Witch was ruling and it was always going to be Winter and never Christmas.

He said,

"Yes. Yes, it is."

He grew up in Florida 

and has mentioned moving 

no less than 75 times.

I had to wear my gloves,

GLOVES,

in mid-April,

as I drove to bible study.

Our church is across from a big field with cattle.

The cows were standing close to the fence as I slowed to turn into the church parking lot.

I locked eyes with one cow.

Looking into his big eyes, I could feel we were having a moment and I could tell what he was thinking.

"Are you kidding me with this weather?!"

I actually shrugged my shoulders at him in response.

"I know. It stinks, buddy."

I didn't go into my whole Narnia White Witch theory 

because while I do remember lots of animals like beaver 

and wolves and a half-goat man in the Narnia story, 

I don't recall there being any cows 

and I just didn't want to confuse him any further. 

That night while at small group, one of the girls there said she thought we were in the movie Frozen and Elsa was pretty darn honked off.

That made me laugh.

And what else can we do when the winter drags on and on and on and on and the bitter cold snaps back like we weren't just sitting on our back patio with a neighbor last Friday or walking all over town with a friend?

A sweet boy with special needs in our church was baptized a few weeks ago.

He's non-verbal and has a smile that lights up any room he's in.

I've had the privilege of having him in my Sunday School class.

I actually let him use scissors during craft time once not realizing, 

he's not used to being given scissors.

That explains the bigger than usual smile on his face that day.

The family showed a video before the baptism of them asking the boy questions to see if he understood what it meant to accept Jesus.

He nodded yes to knowing he was loved by Jesus 

and pointed to his heart when they asked where Jesus lived.

The pastor asked the boy's father how he saw God in his son.

He answered with one word.

"Joy."

This boy who can not form words with his mouth, spoke volumes to my heart. 

He possesses such a clear outpouring of joy that can only come from heaven.

His father baptized him in what was one of the purest, sweetest moments I have ever witnessed.

There wasn't a dry eye in the church.

My car had thick frost on it this morning on DAY 3 of Winter's Return.

But I know I am loved by Jesus 

and I know where He lives.

So today I choose joy.

That Time I Almost Died in Whole Foods

I guess I always thought there was a good chance I'd die in a Whole Foods parking lot one day.

It's truly the most dangerous, out of control, let's-make-this-whole-parking-and-driving-
thing-up-as-we-go-place I've ever been.

Don't get me started on the electric cars 

that MAKE NO SOUNDS 

as they whip out of a parking space 

unannounced right in front of you.

I heard this song some time ago a guy wrote about the Whole Foods parking lot. So I'm not the only one with all these feelings about it. WARNING: There is a bit of language at the end.



When my oldest daughter first got her license, the Whole Foods parking lot was OFF LIMITS.

It really does dig deep into all the meanings of "defensive driving."

Maybe Ellie's "Norm MacDonald" driver's ed teacher SHOULD take students to the Whole Foods parking lot. 

It could be a lesson on how NOT to drive 

or that our country is just a vending machine spitting out driver's licenses 

to people who really can't drive.

All in cars with lots of bumper stickers.

Granted, our Whole Foods is close enough to our house that we could walk, which we do A TON when the weather permits.

But being as we live in OHIO, the weather does not consistently permit.

So I have to drive.

In complete contrast to the nightmare in the parking lot, INSIDE Whole Foods is a pleasant, esthetically satisfying time.

Except on Friday evenings when they do a wine tasting.

But that's a rant for another day.

I had a plan for dinner the other night that Ellie gave a big ol' thumbs down to.

I quickly put together a different plan that required me to get just a few things from Whole Foods.

It had been raining and storming all day. 

It was so wet that I saw an actual duck, soaked to the bone, fly out of my neighbor's yard.

But it had stopped.

Perfect time to make a run for my life in the Whole Foods parking lot.

I was quickly knocking out my list and humming along to whatever music was playing in the store when my phone rang.

It was Monte. He told me to hurry because the tornado sirens were going off 

and he didn't want me driving in, well, a tornado.

The ambiance and music was so pleasant

 that I didn't hear the sirens!

As I started unloading my cart at the check-out, I noticed how dark it was outside and how hard it was raining.

I was taken a little off-guard because I HAVE IMAGINED what my death 

in the Whole Foods parking lot would look like. 

 I've seen the whole thing played out.

But dying INSIDE a Whole Foods?

Hmm.

I didn't see that one coming.

The cashier was super chill and asked me about my day and what I was making for dinner. She scanned each item with the urgency of a slow sloth.

I kept nervously looking outside so she'd get the hint. 

Danger was coming! Seek shelter! Assume the tornadic position!

I resisted the urge to scream,

"HURRY THE FREAK UP!"

As I walked away, I heard the woman behind me tell the cashier about the tornado and her need to hurry and the cashier said,

"Oh, those sirens are never right."

Poor Sloth's going to die inside 
a Whole Foods for sure!

I got soaked getting to my car (after a car almost hit me, for the love of Pete!) and practically blown away getting into the house.

The lights flickered several times as we started dinner but the tornado warnings were called off and it went back to just good ol' thunder storming.

And I lived to tell the tale.

Rats, Rocky, Filling Gaps, Wonder Woman and the Armor of God

I'm still a little obsessed with rats.

I saw one dead on the street two days ago and instead of rejoicing that another one bit the dust, 

I felt this dread inside, 

"They're BACK!"

And it didn't help that someone nearby posted on Facebook a picture 

of a baby rat nest she found under her woodpile 

in her backyard.

Or that Nigel kept sniffing at a cabinet in the family room 

the other night like he SMELLED A RAT.

Literally.

I feel like I'm at the beginning of a big fight and I need to get prepared by getting the right shoes, equipment or be sent off to Russia to train in the snow and a barn the old school way like Rocky when he fought Drago.

Remember these crazy barn loft sit ups?

And how he lifted up that big wheelbarrow like cart
with Adrian, his trainer and his crazy brother-in-law just sitting in it watching
him struggle to lift them up?

I have a point, I promise.

I read a devotional the other day by Kelly Balarie at Purposeful Faith about a rat that got stuck in a hole in the siding of her garage.

Kelly knew the hole was there in her garage and knew she needed to fill it in but, like many things on our to-do list, it got pushed down in priority.

Overlooked.

Then a fat rat got stuck in the hole 

and the item on her to-do list raced 

to the top of the priorities for the day.

She goes on to say that in our lives, we all have gaps to fill in to keep unwanted things out.

Things we've been meaning to repair.

Tend to.

Things like our health, unforgiveness, anger.

We don't realize the risk each day when we bump those items down in priority on our to-do list.

Then we end up with two HUGE dead rats in our dryer vent.

The vent on the outside of our house was open with a small hood.

Anything could get in and DID.

We had no idea.

I don't even remember picking out that vent.

That's how little of a priority it was to me.

Now we have a vent with a magnetic cover to let the dryer exhaust out but not let unwanted creatures in.

We're protected.

God wants us protected too.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

Ephesians 6:10-11

He not only wants us to be fully protected, but know who the real enemy is.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavily realms."

Ephesians 6:12

That's some heavy stuff.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Ephesians 6:13

The cool thing about the armor of God, is that we are only asked to put it ON and STAND OUR GROUND. 

God does all the fighting.

So no Rocky crazy sit ups from a barn loft 

that would make me dizzy are necessary.

But we can't just sit in the wheelbarrow cart either,

waiting to be lifted up.

We have to actively put on the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, slip on our gospel of peace shoes, pick up our shield of faith, put on our helmet of salvation and hold the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17)

Every day.

My bible study notes say about "standing your ground" and "standing firm:"

"In this context the imagery is not that of a massive invasion of the domain of evil, 

but of individual soldiers withstanding assault."

God is going before us and after us to do all the fighting in our very personal, individual, rat-infested lives. We just need to be armored up and stand firm.

It makes me think of the scene in the movie "Wonder Woman." 

There is a part where she is standing along side soldiers from World War I. There was a front line area called "No Man's Land" that the soldiers were afraid to cross into because it was where the most enemy fire would be encountered. 

Without crossing into it, the two sides remained at a stand still. 

Wonder Woman walked right into "No Man's Land" and held up her shield to deflect the incoming fire. There was an aerial shot of all the fire coming at her and her just standing firm behind her shield. 

There were so many bullets shot at her, bouncing off the shield, it seemed they were on fire.

via GIPHY

It made me cry.

We are often SO UNAWARE of all the "flaming arrows of the evil one" that are hurled at us.

We try to do life in our own power and get so weary and discouraged that we blame "being with the wrong person" or "being tired" or "being hormonal" or "being hangry."

We forget God gave us the perfect weapon, "take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16)

Wonder Woman didn't fight back, she just stood her ground and "withstood the assault." 

While doing so, the soldiers were able to gain ground.

God meant us to live victoriously because He has already won the battle. 

But the enemy isn't going to go out like the loser he is without a fight until the end.

He's going to try hard to make us forget about all the gaps in our lives.

The areas we've left wide open that need a vent cover.

He's going to try hard to distract us 

so we keep their repair low on our to-do list.

But God is in the business of fixing things.

It's why he sent His son to die for us--so things would be fixed for good for us.

Forever.

Let's go into this Easter weekend ARMORED UP, 

gaps filled 

and ready to STAND OUR GROUND.

The Education of Driving

Ellie is learning to drive.

She has completed the classroom portion and just finished the in-car part of driver's ed right before Spring Break.

The in-car driving was two hours long each session with an instructor and pretty much trial by fire.

Monte had driven with Ellie but she was pretty anxious so the sessions never lasted more than 10 or 15 minutes.

She begged me to take her driving but I told her I wanted her to get a little more experience under her belt before I risked the integrity of my blonde highlights.

It's a financial thing.

Plus, I had blown it with McDaniel letting her drive my big SUV 

WAY before she was ready.

We went to pick up Ellie from golf practice 

and McDaniel almost took out EVERY mailbox on the way.

Driver's Ed scene from "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."
Great movie.

I wasn't going to make the same mistake.

Ellie's first driving session didn't go super well.

For starters, I watched her park at the end of her session with the instructor and she pulled in pretty hot and slammed on the brakes. Hard.

She blamed the old car she's learned to drive in for having stomp-it brakes.

I told her she better get used to driving old cars. 

Princess is not getting anything new until she's buying.

I once had a car catch on fire 

while I was waiting at a fast food drive-through window.

Yes, I waited until I got my order 

before I drove across the street to a mechanic.

And yes, the fast food worker pointed out that my car was on fire.

Like I didn't notice.

Ellie said there was lots of yelling and the instructor had to use the brake on his side of the car during her sessions. A lot.

She was given a little book to take to each session that he wrote comments in.

When I picked her up after her first session, she read it to me.

I stopped hearing clearly after "doesn't know right from left under pressure" and "turned from a non-turning lane."

She reassured me that she's a good driver but the instructor is just picky.

When I asked what he's picky about she replied with finger air quotes,

"Stopping at railroad tracks to see if a train is coming."

Dear word, she's going to kill the driver's ed guy!

Ellie told me that he's been doing this for 29 years.

29 years of stomping a brake from the passenger side of the car.

29 years of antacids.

29 years of telling someone to turn right only to have them turn left FROM A NON-TURNING LANE.

29 years of almost getting hit by a train.

29 years of seeing your life pass before your eyes.

Ellie said he's pretty laid back, reminds her of Norm MacDonald and has a million stories of people doing it worse than her.

One story was actually about her friend.

During her in-car, the instructor asked her to fill up the car with gas.

That was something she'd never done before.

He walked her through the process but failed to tell her to wait until the pump was off to pull out the gas nozzle.

She sprayed gasoline everywhere and made the long list of stories the instructor now tells in the classroom portion of driver's ed.

I told Ellie to make that her new goal.

DO NOT make the long list of stories 

the instructor will tell in class.

When I was pulling into the high school parking lot for Ellie's next in-car, I turned left in a "turn right only" area (I swear I've NEVER seen that sign before) and I accidentally ramped the curb.

She gave me the side eye and told me it was 

all starting to make sense to her now.

I do recollect a faint memory of my driver's ed teacher 

popping Rolaids while I drove.

But then again, we used to do in-cars with 3 people at a time.

One of the girls in my group did not have a good handle on speed or turns and we ended up off the road and in a field.

Thank goodness I grew up in a rural area.

I remember holding hands with a girl in the backseat and praying out loud.

None of us thought we were making it out alive.

GOD BLESS those driving instructors! 

They must have steel running through their veins and lining of their stomach.

They are doing a job that I could not do. I put that right up there with skyscraper window washer and tree trimmer where they swing willy nilly from a rope in the air with a chainsaw.

Is that guy smoking a cigar?

I wish I could extend Ellie's driving lessons a wee bit longer because we have to get in 50 hours of road time before getting her license in July.

My blonde highlights may not make it.